History and Geography of China's Urumqi

Capital of China's Xinjiang Province and Home of the Uyghur Minority

Jul 9, 2009 Joel McConvey

Urumqi is the capital city of Xinjiang, a large desert province in the northwest of China. It is a business and transportation hub, and site of the riots of July 2009.

With a population of over 2.3 million people, Urumqi is a major urban center in northwest China, and the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, located north of Tibet. More than 40 percent of Urumqi's population is made up of Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group that has its own distinct language and is primarily Muslim.

History and Geography

The city's name is archaic Mongolian for "beautiful pasture." It was originally founded around 648 AD as the town of Luntai (located about 10km from present-day Urumqi), a stop along the fabled Silk Road trading route. From 1763, it was known as Dihua. The city was given its current name in 1954, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and was designated the capital of Xinjiang the following year.

Urumqi has a total area of almost 11,000 square kilometers, covering 16 percent of China's total land area. It is situated at the Western edge of the Gobi desert, north of the Tian Shan mountain range, and is geographically noteworthy for being the furthest city in the world from any body of water.

Sites of Interest

Located about 110km east of Urumqi is Tianchi, or "Heaven Lake," a picturesque lake surrounded by the Tian Shan mountains.

Demographics

Urumqi is home to both Uyghurs (variously spelled Uighur or Uygur) and a significant population of Han Chinese, who are the ethnic majority in China. Together, these two groups make up nearly 90 per cent of Urumqi's populace. Other significant ethnic minorities who live there include Hui, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. In total, the city boasts more than 40 different ethnic groups.

Ethnic Tensions

Ethnic diversity in Urumqi has led to tension among the different groups, particularly among the Uyghurs and the Han Chinese. Uyghurs have accused the Chinese government of populating the city with Han Chinese in order to dilute traditional Uyghur culture and eradicate the Muslim faith, while Beijing considers Uyghur separatist groups, who campaign for an independent Uyghur state called East Turkestan, to be terrorist organizations.

Fueling these tensions are rules imposed by the Chinese government that prohibit Uyghurs public servants from worshipping at mosques, and limit religious practice and instruction to those over 18 years old. While Uyghurs see themselves as a distinct culture under colonial-style rule (similar to Tibetans), Beijing sees Xinjiang as a rightful part of China. This claim is even observable in rules governing time -- although Urumqi is technically two hours behind Beijing, it is officially required to run on Central Beijing Time, resulting in a fractured system wherein residents must specify which standard of time they are referring to.

Riots of July 2009

On July 5, 2009, ethnic tensions led to violence between Uyghurs and Han Chinese, when a series of riots erupted across the city. According to a BBC report from July 9, 2009, the violence, which lasted several days, left at least 156 people dead and over 1000 injured. The Han blamed Uyghurs for the violence, while Uyghurs accused Han of manipulating reports, claiming that most of those killed were Uyghur.

As of July 2009, thousands of Chinese soldiers were reported to be patrolling the streets of Urumqi, hoping to quell any further violence.

The copyright of the article History and Geography of China's Urumqi in S Asian/Chinese Affairs is owned by Joel McConvey. Permission to republish History and Geography of China's Urumqi in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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